July 2016 For Sale – Fylde Touchstone Mandolin

"Guitarists who want to play mandolin often find the fingerboard too narrow and short to play comfortably. The “Touchstone” is intended to make mandolin playing more comfortable, by using a slightly longer scale, and a wider fingerboard than is usual.

The longer scale length results in higher string tension, which produces a louder, more forceful tone, and can help in achieving a lower playing action.

​Our latest mandolin design, its extra string length helps to produce a powerful, rich tone, and makes it ideal for those players who need more space on the fingerboard.

Recordings made with this instrument

Prelude from The First Cello Suite BWV 1007 (JS Bach)

Cheek to Cheek (Berlin arr. McDermott)

Cosmetic Issues & Modifications

This instrument has been heavily gigged. There are some scratches and light dents on the soundboard (see pictures) but no structural issues.

Fitted with Headway Snake pickup and preamp (inside mandolin body).

The 9th fret marker on the fingerboard has been relocated to the 10 fret (on the fingerboard and at the side of the neck).

Specifications

Back & Sides – Sapele

Top – Spruce

Neck – Honduras Mahogany

Fingerboard & Bridge – Ebony

Tuners – Chrome plated Gotoh tuners

Fingerboard width at nut: 30mm

Scale length: 375mm

String spacing at bridge: 40mm

Overall length excluding strap pin: 648mm

Body width: 282mm

Depth of sides at tailpin: 60mm

Fitted with Thomastik strings (not new) please note – Thomastik strings are designed to reduce overtones and string noise, resulting in a quieter sound. When this instrument is fitted with regular strings it is extraordinarily loud!